The Damnation Game

Clive Barker is one of my favorite authors and greatly influenced me. This is his first novel but also, in my opinion, one of his best. I love books that blend crime and horror, particularly supernatural horror. I enjoyed the interplay here between the protagonist, recently released from prison, and the wealthy Londoner he starts to work for as a bodyguard.

I was hooked by the slow ramping up of danger throughout the book as the characters get more deeply entangled in the supernatural elements. I love Barker’s lyrical style and amazing use of language, and this remains one of… show more.

Although it's generally listed as Horror, The Damnation Game is really Crime Fiction. We are introduced to the main character, Marty Strauss, as he is being released from prison on early parole, sponsored by a reclusive millionaire named Joseph Whitehead. Marty—a former semi-pro boxer—is told that he's being hired as Mr. Whitehead's bodyguard, but it soon becomes apparent that the job involves some very unsavory work. The Weird element is Mr. Whitehead's relationship with his former mentor, Mamoulian. Marty is forced to choose not only between going straight or returning to crime, but between Earth and Hell.